SPARKLE IN GREY - A Quiet Place

Almost a year after the last release reviewed here at Disaster By Choice (Comaneci), we return to discuss the new proposal coming from Rome: Sparkle In Grey. The band was formed in 2006, when founder Matteo "Hue" Uggeri brought together seasoned professionals such as multi-instrumentalist Cristiano Lupo (also a member of Norm), Alberto Carozzi (of Yakudoshi), busy on bass and guitar, and finally Franz Krostopovic, a violinist of unspeakable sensitivity. Capable of forging collaborations with eminent figures of the industrial underground such as Telepherique and Maurizio Bianchi (they recently released a record together), Sparkle In Grey, with production handled by Giuseppe Ielasi, recorded this "A Quiet Place", marking the debut of yet another Italian band with a decidedly intriguing future ahead.

As already happened with the self-titled album by Echoes Of The Whales, the stylistic blend of vaguely post-rock atmospheres and electronic intrusions hits the mark once again. It's widely known by now that gimmicks of this kind can come across as stale and anachronistic; but as we're well aware, it has always been the details that separate bad records from good ones. In light of this, the collective's effort is evident and well rewarded: there isn't a single passage where a precise reference springs to mind, as they steer clear of musty stereotypes and overused tropes. Vague nods to industrial music, of which they seem to be great admirers (the kinship with Maurizio Bianchi is no coincidence), are often blended with a love for ambient textures, from which they manage to extract just the right elements to complete the other pillar of their music: rhythm. Singular hiccups bordering on a certain strain of IDM burst forth in "Goose Game", a perfect, crepuscular electronic ballad, caught between schizophrenia and magical moments of ecstasy.

Even the dark and introspective "Limporta", despite being viscous catacomb-like magma, writhes under the push of a lovely digital bed that at times feels almost miraculous (see the passage from the five-minute mark onward).

While the title track shows a stronger inclination toward extended chamber-style instrumental passages (think Rachel's), the following "Teacher Song" enchants with minimal emphasis. Alternately carried by a child's voice that is nothing short of delightful, it relies on urban field recordings as the perfect finishing touch to three minutes of pure compositional perfection. The more conventional, yet never trivial, "Pim In Delay" paves the way for the closing "Delusion Song", a gentle, soothing compendium.

Silencing the incurable pessimists who criticize the quality of homegrown music on principle, we celebrate the new piece of a branching artistic mosaic full of surprises; only the curiosity of the listener can unlock its pleasant revelations.

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26/04/2008